What are the Key Steps in the Maintenance and Care of Filling Machines?

Machines such as filling machines were built to last a long time, however, if not taken care of such machines would destroy themselves over time. First of all, informal maintenance, such as doing daily cleanups, is necessary when taking care of the equipment. It is essential to keep the machine parts intact and free from dirt or oil. Likewise, it is necessary to clean the hoppers and filling heads before filling in any products as there should not be any unnecessary products present on the surfaces which can cause contamination during the process. It is also advisable and useful to perform routine cleaning of the conveyor belts and sensors to prevent foreign objects from disturbing the normal functioning and precision of the machines.

The second aspect is lubrication maintenance which can highly minimize the wear and tear on the machinery. Operators are required to perform a periodic lubrication of all moving sections such as chains, gears, bearings, etc. of the filling machine, and use the most suitable lubricating oil for the equipment in order to prevent damages from wrong oil products usage. As it is needed to regularly lubricate moving components of a machine such as chains, gears or bearings, inspection of other components is also equally bearing in mind. A check on the screws and bolts shall be done for tampering that may result in machine malfunctions; at the same time there should be a check to see if any sealing rings and washers have aged or have been damaged and need replacing so that leakage does not occur. The checking of electrical cuts also does not need to be neglected. Wire connections should be regularly monitored to make sure that they are securely connected and replace them if they age to avoid electrical failures.

The air pressure value of the pneumatic system of the filling machine must be monitored and adjusted if it is too high or too low. Filling speed and accuracy may be adversely affected if the air pressure is low, while high pressure can damage the internal parts. Moisture is bad for pneumatic components; therefore, the gas system must be kept dry by draining the water in the air filters. In the same way, it is necessary to regularly check the filling volume, the functionality of the devices, and the absence of abnormal sounds in the components during the filling process, or to trial filling, which enhances the reliability of the equipment regarding its accuracy and stability.

Lastly, maintain a coherent set of records about the type of part change and maintenance carried out and how to easily cross-reference it in the future. There is also a need to frequently report about the status and condition of the assigned equipment and its maintenance to technical support or manufacturer for the needed technical assistance. These maintenance measures not only allow the filling machine to remain highly efficient but also extend the life of the machine.